British reticence

Good for you vq but I will admit I would have been a follower and not a leader. I hate having attention brought to me and I think that is inbuilt in me

I dont know. I think it is part of humility which is a good thing.
But not speaking out when required to do so[I am thinking of more serious situations], isnt helpful either.

I suppose one generation brings up their family in a certain way, and we then just pass it on and do the same.

Plenty of participation at Gladitorial Games out of doors at the Guildhall in London. Once we'd been told the correct hand movement and Latin words most people entered into the spirit of it!
Annsixty - I wouldn't have been so enthusiastic to draw attention to myself years ago but now find I rarely care. Maybe it came with age ��

I intended a winking emoticon but it's become two little squares. ;-)

Elrel I'm 78 when do you think it will happen for me?

Am I right in thinking you are a retired teacher VQ ? As such you have to be a bit of a performer and you get so used to doing daft things (in the name of keeping pupils on task) that hollering and whooping is second nature.

Good on you for getting out

Annsixty - ok you are 3 years older than I am! I was thinking back to 60 and that I was more worried about standing out then. As child, and for many years afterwards, I worried that 'people might look at me' a lot of the time. We're all different is what it comes down to, perhaps!

wink

Ah, got it!!

You must have gone to Bolsover on a day when there was a very quiet crowd, vq! Most years when we've been they have been very vociferous (GS's and I included), cheering for their chosen champions! I agree with you about engaging the re-enactors in conversation though; not many do, although I suspect they would like to ask questions but are afraid of sounding daft. I had a very interesting conversation about longbows last year. It's what these guys (and gals) like best, to be able to show their knowledge as well as their skills. The jousting is some of the best you will see anywhere and it's a great location.

I used to be terrified of being the centre of attention and tbh I don't really like it now but DH taught me that there is a difference between people you know and people you don't. People I know can hurt me when they criticise me and I brood over what they say and think. DH taught me not to worry about strangers who I'm never going to meet again. His philosophy is it doesn't matter what you do as long as you're having fun and you're not hurting anybody.

We seemed to be in the middle of a very restrained group of people although they were less restrained as they joined in with us

We watched some 'Tudor' horsemen (a squire and his lady wife) performing at a NT property the other week.
After a bit of encouragement, the crowd, which was not large, was cheering them on quite noisily. All great fun!

I was wondering why the British didn't do this naturally. Other nations seem to let rip whenever they feel like it. We worry too much about what the stranger next to us is thinking.

I do so agree with vampirequeen...it all depends on the situation and the company you are in although at 63 I no longer care what people think.
They can like it or lump it!

The spectacle of Americans whooping and hollering (sic) and whistling on TV is more than enough to put me off that sort of vociferous audience participation. I'm quite happy to speak up in public in classes/conferences/talking type situations.

It's fun to let your hair down and whoop and holler sometimes

And you are most welcome to do that but I won't be joining you!

I do not think it is humility that stops people letting their hair down. Humility is not having a sense of self importance.
If an occasion expects/requires participation and people do not join in maybe they have a sense of self importance, i.e. that people will be looking at them and they may look foolish. I was quite 'reticent' but realise now that most of the time people are not interested in me and what I am doing so it is OK to give situations 'full welly'!

Unlike some of you 'shy' people I never thought for one moment that people would be looking at me. It has always puzzled me how people assume that others are interested in them.
At least it lets us who want to enjoy life get on with it.

I was brought up that it wasn't done to draw attention to myself so I should be quiet. I used to worry people would think badly of me then I realised that most didn't even notice me and if any did they would probably either see me as having a good time or wish they could whoop and holler too. If they did think badly of me then what did it matter because I never had to see them again.

I don't think I could whoop. Or holler. It would sound odd. I just don't get excited enough.

Same here, jingl. It's not just about self-consciousness, some people just don't want to do it - fine if you do, fine if you don't!

I would rather stick to clapping.